After almost nine months of frustration and all too familiar rehabilitation, Jack Wilshere has made his long-awaited return to Arsenal colours. The midfielder played 65 minutes for the club’s under‑21s on Friday against Newcastle United at a sparsely populated arena, as he seeks to convince the England manager, Roy Hodgson, he is fit and available for Euro 2016.
The appearance in the 3-1 win was Wilshere’s first since a pre-season Emirates Cup tie here against Wolfsburg in the last week of July, with his last competitive involvement having come in Ljubljana with England last June when his two goals helped the national team to a 3-2 qualifying win against Slovenia.
He had featured in five of the side’s first six Group E fixtures, operating largely and effectively from a deep-lying position, and would have been a key player for club and country this season had he not broken the fibula in his left leg on the eve of the side’s victory against Chelsea in the Community Shield on 2 August. Wilshere, 24, duly underwent surgery in mid-September and, having initially hoped to feature again in mid-March, has now finally returned to the fray.
Arsenal’s No10 began just in front of the back line, alongside Marcus McGuane and, later, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, against Newcastle and offered only flashes of his ability as he eased his way through the contest, one he almost missed due to a heavy cold. There was the occasional link-up with the lively forward Stephy Mavididi, who was liberated by one slide-rule pass early in the second period only to miss the target as Nathan Harker darted out to block.
Yet Wilshere, such a livewire when fully fit, largely played at a stroll other than one sudden burst upfield just after the hour, conscious that this was principally about gaining game-time. The appearance for the development side, six days after Arsenal had been unimpressed to discover the player had been questioned by police outside London’s Cafe de Paris in the small hours of Sunday morning, was a first step in what could prove a protracted process before Wilshere regains proper match fitness.
Arsenal have further under-21 games against Derby County and Swansea City scheduled for next week, with a player who has averaged fewer than 13 Premier League appearances in each of the past five seasons, due largely to a succession of ankle complaints, still some way off a first-team return. He dragged a shot wide from distance here, and was involved in an angry tête à tête with Henri Saivet after body-checking the Newcastle captain, yet he rarely moved out of first gear.
Indeed, while a crowd of 2,831 had come to witness his return, Wilshere’s display was rather eclipsed by that of the 18-year-old Daniel Crowley, who conjured a fine opening goal after beating a trio of Newcastle players in a cluttered penalty area. Wilshere played a part in the build-up to Arsenal’s second moments later by finding another returning senior, Tomas Rosicky. The Czech international, whose season has been limited to 19 minutes as a substitute by knee and thigh complaints, supplied Mavididi to score but did not re-emerge for the second half. He is expected to leave the club when his contract expires this summer.
The immediate prospects should be brighter for Wilshere, who was replaced by Josh Dasilva midway through the second half, as planned, with his team 3-1 up. Hodgson has publicly assured Wilshere he will be included in his 23-man squad for the tournament in France this summer if he proves his fitness in the weeks ahead.
“For me it’s all about the class of the player,” the England manager said in March, with Wilshere making clear his desire to be involved with his country this summer after featuring here. “I’m not there yet, but it was a big step tonight and the Euros are a target,” he said.
